Bellingham Herald urges U.S., Canada to put fish first

A Bellingham Herald editorial:

Things have deteriorated badly. Puget Sound chinook salmon stocks are listed for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. That includes Nooksack River chinook. Runs of the once plentiful Fraser River sockeye salmon have been smaller in recent years as well.

The survival of some of these species is in question now. Negotiators need to make saving the salmon their first priority. After that, we hope fishermen in our area will be treated fairly. Some fishermen, particularly Indian tribal members, still rely on fishing as a main source of income and of food for families.